Patent GB-388486-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the extraction of kernels
IPC: A23N5/00
Filed: 1931-11-04
Abstract: 388,486. Cracking nuts; grading, separating, and sifting apparatus. COUSANS, L. B., MOONEY, J. D., and SANDFORD, J. L., 36, Pier Street, Perth, Australia. Nov. 4, 1931, No. 30534. [Classes 23, 59, and 117.] In extracting the kernels from nuts, the peripheries or edges of the shells or nuts are circumferentially cut away by dies. As shown, the nuts are fed from a hopper 22, Fig. 1, to a grading-machine 45 in which a single nut is raised and ejected into one of a series of trays 33 ; the graded nuts are fed on to a tray 98 and slide down on to hollow, reciprocating plungers which shear the side edges of the nut, and the kernel and broken shell are drawn into a suction chamber 102, and, if the nuts are of a kind in which the kernel and shell are of different specific gravity, are sifted in an air current sifter 114 connected to a fan chamber 112. If the specific gravity of the kernel and shell are similar then they are separated mechanically in a rotary sifter 137, the various grades being deposited in hoppers 160 connected by slowly rotating tubes to funnels 176 from which they fall into a current of air in a pipe 170 and are carried along to a cyclone separator 180 after being partially separated at apparatus in the bend of the pipe. The deposit in the cyclone 180 falls into a hopper 185 and an air blast projects the material into a tray 187, a partition 188 separating the material according to specific gravity. In the grading device for the nuts, Fig. 3, the nuts fall down a tube 23 on to trays 24 pivoted to one end of a toggle 57. Each tray is operated by a rod 25 with tappet 26 movable by an arm 27 on a crosshead 28 connected by a rod 30 to a crank 29. A rod 42 is fixed to the crosshead 28 and its top acts as a stop to a flattened tube 45 which is maintained against the stop by a spring 46. A bell-crank ejector 49 is pivoted to the tube and one end is connected by a link to the rod 42, this ejector and two spring clips 50 on the tube receive a nut, a projection 54 acting as a spreader to the springs. As the crosahead 28 descends the tray 24 is turned over by striking a fixed rod 24a and one nut from the collection on the tray is placed in a carrier 55, further downward movement breaking the toggle 57 to project the nut into the spring clips 50. On the upward movement the spring clips pass between inclined bars 26 fitted with ball stops 40 so that the clips are arrested in one of three positions according to the size of nut held. Movement of the rod 42 is continued and the ejector forces the nut out of the clips into one of the trays 33, 34, 35, the smallest nuts being received on the tray 33. The nut cracking machine comprises a fixed beam 63, Fig. 8, with hollow anvils 67 and perforated dies 70 under the influence of a suction in a chamber 102 and a moving beam 72 connected to eccentrics 76, the dies 93 being hollow to receive an ejector tube 96 connected to a beam 84 operated by eccentrics 86 which are out of phase with the eccentrics 76. The tray 98 is perforated over the dies to allow a nut to position itself thereon. The dies cut away the edges of the nut and the kernel and shell are drawn through the upper dies into the suction chamber 102. The chamber 102 may be partitioned to separate the products from each die or dies. The air' sifter for use when separating kernels and shells of different specific gravity comprises a wind tower 114, Fig. 10, under the suction of a fan 106 in a chamber 112 which is open at both ends and has outlets 115 for high pressure, 116 for low pressure and a movable scoop 117 for variable pressure of air. A louvred partition 119 - separates the tower into compartments, the velocity of air through the louvres being regulated by a valve 124. The kernels and shell enter through pipe 122, kernels falling into a chamber 125 and the shell passing through the louvres to a chamber 126 ; air may enter the chamber 125 at 121 to control the suction effect. The kernels and shell from suction chamber 102 may be separated mechanically in a rotary drum 127, Fig. 12, having perforations of different sizes in communication with receptacles 142 .. 145 formed in an external drum 137 connected at 141 to the wind tower 114. Each receptacle is closed at the bottom by a weighted valve 146, 147, 148, 150, the valve 150 being in series with a valve 149 which is opened against the suction effect by the weight of fine shell and dust. Small kernels, large kernels and uncrushed nuts, large shells or stones, are collected in the receptacles 146, 147, 148, respectively, and are deposited by hoppers 160 into tubes 152, 153, 154, Fig. 1, revolved by a belt. The discharge from receptacle 150 goes to waste through a rotary tube 166 and the discharge from each tube 152, 153, 154 is separately treated in a wind pipe :such as 176, which is connected to the fan ohamber 112 at 116. The material is separated at the bend of the pipe 170, Fig. 15, where the heavier kernels fall through an opening 175, the lighter kernels and shell being carried up a pipe 172, adjustable in length according to the kind of material being separated, into a surrounding conveying pipe 173 which communicates with a cyclone separator 180, Fig. 1, having a movable top 181 with a perforation, the position of the perforation determining the cyclonic effect in the separator so that the shell and lighter nuts fall into a hopper 186 whilst the air escapes through a central vent. 'The hopper 185 is connected to a pipe 183 which receives compressed air from the outlet 115 on the fan casing and this air projects the material either in front of or over a partition 188 in a receiver 187.